Hell's Shadow
by LilyoftheValley4
Summary: There are fates worth than death and places worse than hell that people live in every day. It used to be my job to help those people, until I became one of them. Who is there left to help me?
1. Prologue

Twelve year-old Reed Callahan was bored. His bike was propped up against the iron railing to his two-story townhome, while he and his friend, Jacob Marx, tried to decide what to do on this Friday afternoon. Jacob stood straddling the frame of his bike with both his feet on the ground and his arms resting on the handlebars to support his chin. The boys had just road their bikes to Reed's house from school. It would have been a beautiful spring day if the clouds hadn't stolen the warmth from the breeze.

"Could go to the comic book store," Jacob suggested, sounding indifferent.

"Sure, if I had money. And Fester's not going to let us browse after last time."

Jacob glared. "Well, he should really be specific when he tells people to take their time." Kevin Fister owned the local comics book store and an accidental mispronunciation of his name, had given him the private nickname of Fester. It didn't help that he even looked like the infamous Fester Addams, with his bald head and pale complexion, not to mention he could stand to lose a few pounds. The major difference was he wore glasses. A couple of weeks ago, the boys had spent the entire day in the shop until Fester insisted they buy something or get out.

"We could go to the park and throw a ball around a little," Reed said.

"Nah, by the time I got my glove and stuff I'd have to be back for my dentist appointment anyway."

"Excuse me." The boys looked up surprised after not having heard anyone approach. They gasped. A woman stood before them in a floral pink and yellow sundress. Her feet were bare and her reddish-blond hair was tied back in a perfect French braid. Pearl earrings decorated her ears with a necklace to match. She looked nervous, her eyes continually looking around as if waiting for something to happen. She also seemed barely able to stand on her own two feet. She was far too skinny. A rosy complexion had been added to her cheeks, but it failed to hide her hallowed cheeks.

"Do one of you boys live here?"

Reed glanced at Jacob and back at the woman, hesitantly. "I do."

At that same moment, Reed's mother stepped onto the front porch. "Reed, I asked you to clean your room this morning. You better get your butt up there and take care of it before you even think of—" She stopped in the middle of her tirade, noticing the woman for the first time.

"God Lord, child, are you alright?"

The woman glanced around again. "I would really appreciate it if—" But that was all she got out before her eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed on the sidewalk.

"Mom!" Reed cried in alarm as Jacob practically jumped off his bike.

"Get me my cell phone, quickly!" Reed ran inside without another word as his mother raced down to the woman's side. The woman was clearly unconscious. It didn't seem as if she'd injured herself in the fall, but the mother couldn't be sure. She did notice one of the edges of the young girl's dress had risen halfway up her thigh and the mother could see the presence of a distinct bruise that strikingly resembled finger prints.

"Is she going to be okay?" Jacob asked. He seemed to be keeping his distance, uncertain about what to think of the whole situation.

"I don't know, Jake," the mother said shaking her head. "I think someone has really done this poor woman wrong. God help her."

Reed burst through the front door and ran down the steps. He handed the cell phone to his mother with shaky hands. "Thank you, now you two go inside and stay there till I say otherwise, ya hear me?" They nodded and quickly ran up the steps before disappearing into the townhouse. The mother dialed 911. She explained to the operator that a woman had collapsed outside her home and after describing what happened and giving the operator her address she thought she'd add one last thought to the woman's condition.

"I've also seen some bruising on the woman's body. I think she might've been raped."


	2. One of Us

A/N: Thanks, rosa! It's good to hear from you again. I hope all is well with you too and I don't disappoint. :)

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

**One of Us**

* * *

Dressed in her a red blouse and her favorite black leather jacket, Olivia Benson couldn't help but wish she'd had the opportunity to finish her coffee. She had a late night last night catching up on paperwork and had been looking forward to a cup of coffee all morning, but unfortunately one of her colleagues, John Munch, had made the coffee this morning which meant if she wanted to live, she needed to buy her coffee. Elliot and Olivia had been heading in that direction when Cragen called.

She glanced over at Elliot and briefly admired how his royal blue dress shirt brought out his eyes. He'd gone home at a decent hour last night, saying something about a date. When she'd asked him about it he sort of shrugged her off saying they had a nice dinner but didn't know if he wanted to see her again. Olivia secretly hoped he wouldn't, but did her best to play her role as partner and nudge him in this new girl's direction. If Elliot was happy dating, Olivia wasn't going to stand in the way. The victims always came first.

"Special victims," Olivia said as she and Elliot showed their badges to a nurse sitting behind a large circularly enclosed desk. Donald Cragen, captain of New York's Special Victims Unit had decided that Elliot and Olivia would try and talk to the potential victim while Detectives John Munch and Odafin Tutuola, or Fin as he was more commonly known amongst his friends, questioned the residents of the neighborhood where the girl collapsed. They hope was there potential victim would be in some condition to talk and give details of her attacker.

The woman at the nurse's station directed them to a Dr. Lisa Ryan. From the nurse's physical description and hypothesized location, they found the brunette doctor talking to a nurse outside a patient's room.

"Dr. Ryan?" Olivia asked, flashing her badge quickly to get her attention. Dr. Ryan excused herself and headed their way. A woman whose descent Olivia would have guessed to be Indian approached the detectives.

"I am Detective Olivia Benson and this is my partner Elliot Stabler. What do you have?" Dr. Ryan pushed her wire-rimmed glasses higher on the bridge of her small nose.

"We're still waiting for the CT's to come back, but I can tell you this girl's been through hell. Extensive bruising on her torso and vaginal area. Rape kit turned up positive for fluids. No ID or money on her."

"Fluids from the kit and DNA from the victim can be sent to our department and we can look through missing persons," Olivia said. Dr. Ryan nodded.

"She regained consciousness?" Elliot asked.

"She's been completely unresponsive since she was brought in," Dr. Ryan said shaking her head. "But she shows signs of malnutrition and severe dehydration, it could be awhile."

"Let us know as soon as she wakes up."

"Will do and you might want to talk to that woman over there," Dr. Ryan gestured to a dark skinned woman with closed eyes and a head bent in prayer sitting in the waiting room. "She rode in with your victim."

"Thanks," Olivia said as she and Elliot made their way over to the woman. She was slightly overweight and looked to be in her mid-forties. She had hair that fell to her shoulders and was whispering to herself, so low, the detectives could not decipher what she was saying.

"Hi, I'm Detective Benson and this is my partner, Detective Stabler." The woman's eyes shot open and she stood anxiously.

"My name's Andrea Callahan. Is she okay?"

"She's doing better," Olivia reassured. "Did you know her?"

"No, never seen her in my life. I was in the house and when I came out she was talking to my son. Girl looked so frightened."

"Do you know what she told your son?" Elliot asked.

"No, didn't have a chance, I sent the boys inside when I saw the bruising--" Andrea trailed off.

"Boys? You just mentioned your son."

"And his friend Jacob was over too."

"Did she tell you anything?"

"She seemed about to ask me something. Very politely too. If I was in her condition, I know I woulda been in hysterics," Andrea said.

"Can you remember anything else?" Elliot asked. "Any idea what direction she might have come from?"

"No, I'm sorry, but I did find it odd she was wearing a yellow sundress and pearls. I don't really know if that's significant to you, but very outta place for our neighborhood. I wish I could be of more help." Andrea said with a sigh.

"You did great," Elliot explained. "You might have saved her life."

"Andrea, if you think of anything else that might help us, please give me a call," Olivia said handing Andrea her card. Andrea nodded and Elliot and Olivia headed down the hospital hallway towards the entrance.

"What do you think?" Elliot asked.

"Controlling rich husband who doesn't like it when his wife steps out of line," Olivia suggested.

"Seems about right. Hopefully the husband has some priors he didn't buy his way out of."

* * *

Frank Hardy was on the floor. One moment he had been asleep his head on his desk and the next an abrupt poking had startled him into falling backwards in his chair. He felt the wind rush out of his lungs as he stared up into the concerned eyes of his brother. Joe Hardy lowered his hand towards his brother's sprawled body and braced himself as Frank rose to his feet.

"You here all night again?" Joe asked already knowing the answer. His brother rarely left the office except when he needed to go home and shower. Sometimes Joe could successfully convince his brother to sleep at home, but more often than not, he would fall asleep at his desk or a take a nap in the room provided upstairs.

The lack of sleep had already taken a strong hold on Frank's appearance. His normally clean-shaven face had a shaggy full-beard. It looked like Frank had made a hasty effort to try and slow down the growth, but it only resulted in uneven shaving. In its current state of neglect, it looked like he'd taken a pair of scissors to it. His hair overall looked slightly greasy, and dark trenches resided under his eyes.

Frank straightened his chair he'd taken down with him and sat down wearily. "Looking into a couple of leads."

"Frank, we haven't had any real leads in months," Joe said, preparing himself for his brother's wrath.

"Every whisper is a lead, Joe. It's all we have," Frank argued, not looking at Joe.

"Frank," Joe ordered with such authority that Frank had to look up. "Cap is shutting us down." Captain Benjamin Post was the head of their squad.

"He can't!" Frank protested standing abruptly, a wild look appearing his eyes.

"6 months, Frank, and nothing. He's feeling the heat from higher ups."

Frank's eyes narrowed. "Sounds like you agree with him."

"Frank, I want to find her as much as you do, but we can't do it and still keep our jobs."

"I don't care about the job! I need to know what happened to her!" Frank took a couple deep breaths to calm himself. "I'm not ignoring the fact that she's probably—" Frank broke off unable to say the word, "but I believe there's a chance she's not. Therefore, I'm not giving up. People don't just disappear."

"Frank," Joe tried again.

"I've got vacation time saved up," Frank interrupted. "I'll use it to do my own investigating. I'm getting some coffee and then talking to Cap."

* * *

Once Elliot and Olivia arrived back at the precinct, they divided the research of looking into rapes with any similar characteristics and trying to see if they could get any hits with a search on the victim's physical characteristics until Melinda could get back to them with a DNA match. Munch and Fin arrived about an hour later and Olivia and Elliot were hopeful for some helpful news.

"Any luck with the neighbors?" Elliot asked as soon as they sat down.

"Talked to the kids but they didn't see what direction she came from. We also talked to some street vendors. A couple remembered her, but not enough to try and figure out where she split from. We're probably gonna want to do a newsfeed on this one," Fin explained.

"You think someone would remember a woman dressed like a Stepford wife walking down the street in that part of town," Munch said.

"Well, we also don't know how long she might have been free. She could have been walking for hours," Olivia pointed out.

"Yeah, she sure didn't seem to be any sort of hurry to get away from this guy," Munch said.

"We'll know more when she wakes up."

"I might be able to help out before then," Dr. Melinda Warner said entering the room with a file in hand. Warner was the SVU's medical examiner. "I've just ID'd your vic."

The grim tone Melinda used was not lost on Olivia. "And?"

"She was reported missing 6 months ago by two police officers from across town. Still open." Melinda handed Olivia the file as Elliot got up and looked over her shoulder.

"Says here she disappeared on her way home from work." Olivia's eyes went wide as she continued reading. Melinda voiced the facts out loud to clarify Olivia's expression for Munch and Fin.

"Yes, her name is Nancy Drew and she's a cop."


	3. Found Fears

A/N: Thanks for all the encouraging reviews! This chapter would have been up sooner but I was having issues getting the document to load with quotation marks. They're only kinda important after all. :P

lightwarai: Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Have You Forgotten. I'm just taking a little break from it to try and get some fresh ideas and figure out where I want to go with it. I can have a bit of a short attention span when it comes to writing stories, so I'm hoping to pick that one back up soon. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this one. :)

**Chapter 3:**

**Found Fears**

* * *

Frank stepped up to his captain's office door with a heavy heart. He was tired of searching. He was tired of all the dead ends and false leads that gave him tantalizing hope. All he wanted was Nancy by his side again. The day she disappeared had been just like any other day. Actually, it had been oddly quiet.

_"Where you going?" Nancy asked, looking up from her computer as she saw Frank going for his coat._

_"Gotta take Aunt Gertrude to the airport," Frank answered. "Joe managed to get out of it thanks to Vanessa, which left me." _

_Nancy laughed. "Sounds like Joe."_

_"You have much left to do?" _

_"About another hour, I think," Nancy said as she leaned back in her chair and stretched. Her shirt lifted up slightly as she did so and Frank got a glimpse of her toned stomach. Her eyes followed his and she leaned forward quickly and consciously tugged her shirt down as Frank looked away. He ran his fingers nervously through his hair._

_"P-perfect," he stuttered. Nancy looked at him in confusion. "I mean—it's perfect if you want to get dinner. It should take me about an hour roundtrip from the airport," Frank rushed out._

_Nancy smiled. "Dinner sounds good." _

_"Awesome," Frank grinned back. "I'll pick you up here."_

_"Actually, I'll want to change first, so maybe it would be easier if I meet you somewhere?" _

_"I can pick you up. Your place is more on the way back from the airport anyway," Frank said with a shrug._

_"Okay, if you insist," Nancy agreed._

_"Great, see you in a bit." Frank left in anticipation. He could barely focus on his aunt's attempts at conversation during the drive. He stuck to monosyllabic answers, which didn't seem to discourage his aunt at all. He tried to help her check-in her bags at the terminal but she swatted his hand a way._

_"Don't be silly, Frank. You obviously have somewhere else to be. I don't want to keep you." Frank looked at his aunt in astonishment. _

_"Mom's right, you do have super human senses."_

_Aunt Gertrude laughed. "No, honey. I'm afraid you are just not very good at hiding your emotions." _

_Frank couldn't help but chuckle. "Just what every cop wants to hear."_

_"I'm sure you can when you want to," Gertrude soothed, "but it's spelled out all over your face right now that you're head over heels for some girl and my guess is you'll be meeting with her tonight?"_

_"I swear you're psychic," Frank said shaking his head._

_"No, I've just be around for awhile. Now give me a hug and get going." Aunt Gertrude spread her arms open and Frank took her embrace. _

_"Thanks, Aunt Gertrude. Have a good flight."_

_"Go already!" Aunt Gertrude pushed him towards the car and Frank got in laughing. He gave her a quick wave and drove towards Nancy's house. He didn't know why he was so excited. He and Nancy had had dinner before, but for some reason it felt like more than that._

_Nancy had started her training at an academy in Chicago and decided to transfer to New York to work with Frank following graduation. Joe, joined them about a year later and as always, they made a good team. Nancy and Ned had come to a decision to break up shortly after Nancy decided she wanted to go the academy and Callie had ended it with Frank the summer following graduation. Just like Nancy and Ned, they wanted different things and both of them realized their love for each other wasn't what it once was. _

_During the period of settling into her new life in New York and doing police work it never seemed like the right time to make a move. Tonight's dinner, felt like a date and he was going to see how the evening went, but he hoped she'd see it that way too. As far as Frank knew, she'd gone out on a few dates since her move to New York, but never more than a few times with the same person. He never had the nerve to ask her any of the details, partly because he was afraid he'd hear something he didn't want to know, but he liked to think it was because of their indefinable relationship that she didn't pursue any of the other men._

_He pulled in the parking lot of her apartment building. He'd only been there a few times, mostly when she was moving in but it was a good neighborhood. It was located about 30 miles outside the city, which meant, it often took at least an hour for her to get to work in the mornings. Having grown up in the small town of River Heights, however, she liked being able to see trees and grass instead of tall buildings and concrete. Frank and Joe shared an apartment in the city. Frank didn't mind the idea of commuting, but to Joe, that meant getting up even earlier for work and that was something Joe just wouldn't do. However, lately there seemed to be much discussion about Joe and Vanessa moving in together, in which case, Frank was thinking of moving towards the suburbs as well._

_At first glance, Frank didn't recall seeing Nancy's blue mustang convertible, but shrugged it off. He hadn't been paying much attention anyway. He parked his car and made his way to the entrance. He didn't have a key so he paged her apartment so he could let her into the building. He waited a full minute without receiving any response before he tried again. He figured she could have been in the bathroom or something, but another minute went by and Frank began to feel anxious._

_He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and checked for any messages but he didn't see any. He had Nancy on speed dial under the number three in case of emergencies. Seconds went by and eventually her phone went to voicemail. He hung up before he could leave a message. Frank stepped down from the front doors of the apartment complex and made an effort to search for her car as he tried calling her office phone. As far as he could see, her car wasn't there and she wasn't picking up at the office either._

_There was no reason to panic. She could be stuck in traffic with her music turned up so she couldn't hear the phone. Joe did it all the time. It was a very logical explanation. Frank glanced at his watch. It had taken him less time to get to the airport and back than he'd originally planned, it was really no wonder she wasn't here yet. There really was no good reason to worry. _

_Frank stood in the middle of the parking lot debating what to do when he noticed a woman leaving the building. "Hold that door!" Frank shouted, startling the woman. She shifted her gaze between him and the door, unsure of what to do._

_He pulled out his badge to assure her and walked quickly to the elevator. He wasn't sure what he hoped to gain by going up to her apartment when she obviously wasn't here, but the cop side of him told him to investigate all angles. If something had happened and God forbid she'd been abducted, her apartment could show signs of a struggle._

_He got off the elevator onto the fourth floor and made his way to her apartment door. When he reached it, he found it locked with no visible signs of anything out of place. He knocked on the door for good measure, but he already figured no one would answer. Frank reached into his back pocket and removed the lock-picking kit he kept there. Years working with Nancy had taught him how useful this could be. He didn't even bother to look around and see if anyone was watching like they had to do when they were teenagers. If anyone asked what he was doing he could easily flash his badge. _

_The voice of logic inside his head demanded to know what he was thinking. She wasn't even technically that late yet and he was breaking into her apartment to check on her. He paused for a moment, realizing how irrational this was, but he heard the click of the tumblers move and it didn't matter. Despite the obvious lack of any sign of danger he had a vibe he couldn't shake. Something just felt wrong and in all his years of being an amateur detective he learned not to take these feelings lightly. If he turned out to be wrong, he was pretty sure Nancy would understand._

_Frank hurriedly put his tools back in the case and stuffed the case into his back pocket. He pulled out his gun from his holster and released the safety, just in case. With his gun already set and aimed in front of him, he used his other hand to open the door. The apartment was dark, a big indication no one was home. Frank flicked the switch on by the door and the room came to life in a sea of color. Nothing looked out of place. Actually, the place looked barely lived in. There were no dishes or anything lying around, but there were also very few pictures or homey decorations to give the place warmth. In fact, the small TV in the living room wasn't even plugged in. She did spend a lot of time at the office, but he didn't expect the atmosphere of her apartment to be so sterile. _

_He walked from room to room and confirmed that she wasn't there. There were no signs of a struggle and nothing to show that she'd been home since he left her. Frank put his gun away and pulled out his cell phone again. Again, her phone rang several times but went to voicemail. This time he left a message asking her to call him back at let him know where she was. He hung up and debated his next move. He could stay here for awhile and hope she showed up or he could back track to the police station and see if she was there or had broken down on her way home. Frank liked the latter idea better. He'd already told Nancy to call him, so if she got home after Frank left she could call and make fun of how ridiculous he was being._

_A few minutes later, Frank had locked Nancy's apartment and was on the road towards the police station. During the drive, he found himself constantly checking his cell phone, hoping that she'd call, but his phone stayed silent. He also didn't think he'd seen it on the side of the road anywhere. Frank was on the brink of losing control. Now she was getting close to being an hour late for their dinner meeting and he hadn't heard a word from her. _

_He pulled up to the front of the station and was lucky enough to find a spot along the street. He parked his car quickly and ran inside. He moved quickly through the maze of desks until he reached hers. He analyzed it with dread. Her computer was turned off and he didn't see her purse or coat anywhere, which meant she had left the station. Frank glanced at his phone again. He scanned the office, looking for anyone he could ask that might have seen her. His eyes zoomed in on Detective Mark Coal._

_"Hey Coal!" Coal turned around from the coffee pot and looked at Frank is surprise._

_"Hey, Hardy. What's going on?" He capped his thermos and took a sip. _

_"Have you seen, Nancy?" _

_Coal wiped one of his naturally tanned hands on his pants and walked towards his desk. Frank followed. "Drew? Yeah, she left about an hour and a half ago."_

_Frank's blood turned to ice and he suddenly found it hard to breathe. "An hour and a half," he whispered. "You're sure?"_

_"Yeah. You okay?" Frank wasn't sure what he looked like at the moment, but he was sure it was nothing compared to what he was feeling inside._

_"I—umm. I'll be right back," Frank stumbled. He thought Coal may have said something as he made his way to the front door, but he wasn't paying any attention. Nancy had left just as she said she would and she was still nowhere to be found. He pulled out his cell phone again as he ran towards the parking garage. There were only a handful of parking spots in front and in back of the police station; most of them were forced to park in the garage about five blocks down from the precinct._

_During the run, he searched desperately for any sign of her, but much to his frustration he came up empty handed again. Once he arrived at the lower level of the parking garage, he realized if he'd been thinking clearly, his search would have been much easier if he had his car with him. The garage was huge and he couldn't recall Nancy mentioning at any point during their day what level she might have parked on. He would be wasting time if he searched all the levels on foot, not to mention it would be a pointless search if Nancy had indeed left already. Frank turned back to the attendants booth, which thankfully, was not empty. _

_He reached for his badge as he approached the booth and showed it to the attendant through the glass as he got close. The attendant opened the door and looked at him curiously. Frank wasted no time._

_"Have you seen a royal blue mustang convertible leave within the last hour or so?" _

_The attendant crinkled up his face in thought. "No, I think I would have remembered that one. I've got a thing for mustangs."_

_"Do you remember seeing it come in this morning?" To Frank's dismay he shook his head._

_"Nah, I wasn't here in the morning. Took over around noon." Frank cursed under his breath but thanked the man and decided to start with the lower level. Nancy had got into work around 7, so he hoped the garage hadn't been too crowded yet and he'd be able to locate her car on one of the lower levels. It took him about 30 minutes to cover the ground and first levels and just when he was debating whether or not to call someone to help him his search, he found her car on the second floor. _

_She'd backed into the spot so she could leave quickly in case of emergencies and two spaces on either side of her were vacant. He ran to the car but took in the scene carefully with trained eyes. No sign of any sort of struggle. No obvious blood splatters or scratches. No tire marks from another vehicle hoping for a quick getaway. Frank walked up closer to the car. He covered his hand with the sleeve of his shirt and pulled on the door handle. The car was still locked and he didn't see her purse or anything inside. _

_Frank felt sick. It seemed like Nancy had disappeared sometime from the walk from the precinct to her car. He opened his phone and was disappointed once again to have no messages. He called the precinct with a heavy heart._

_"This is officer Frank Hardy reporting a 10-57 on officer Nancy Drew as a possible 207." _

Frank had never given up since that night and he didn't plan to until he found her. He knocked on his Captain's door, but when he didn't hear anything he pushed it open. Captain Post was standing up by his desk on the phone and pacing. He didn't seem surprised to see Frank. He held up a finger, asking for a moment. Frank remained standing.

"Yes, thanks Don for telling me yourself. I will have my guys there as soon as possible to help you out any way we can. Uh-huh. Bye." Ex-marine Benjamin Post hung up the phone without looking at Frank.

A few moments of silence passed. "Sir, is this a bad time?" Frank asked hesitantly.

"You could say that, Frank." He took a thick toned arm and rubbed his dark beard thoughtfully. "Your brother undoubtedly talked to you. That's why you're here?" He guessed.

"Yes, Sir, I'd like to take some vacation time."

Captain Post waved him off. "Frank, sit down." Frank looked at him in confusion as a feeling of dread stirred deep within him.

"Thank you, Sir, but I prefer to stand."

Captain Post nodded distantly. He stopped pacing and looked at Frank directly with ice blue eyes. "I had no desire to stop the investigation. Drew is more than an asset to this precinct, but up until 5 minutes ago we had no leads."

"Sir?" Frank asked, trying to keep the eagerness out of his voice.

"That was Donald Cragen from SVU. A woman collapsed in front of a civilian residence on Pine Street and was taken to Bellevue. SVU identified the woman as Nancy."

Frank froze as he was succumbed to a rush of emotions, most of all, relief until he realized he didn't know what condition she was in. "Is she alright? Is she…"

"She's alive, Frank." The ambiguity of those words brought terror to his heart. Then, in his head it clicked. He had said SVU was involved.

"SVU, they're involved because she's a cop, right? Because she's a cop…" Frank broke off when Post just gave a slight shake of his head. Frank felt a rush of anger and nausea at the same time. Out of all the outcomes, this was one he was not expecting. He couldn't even fathom the kind of person who would rape someone, but to have it happen to Nancy. Frank clenched his fists.

"What do you know?" Frank demanded forgetting formalities.

"Don didn't give me many details except that she hasn't regained consciousness yet. He's got his top detectives on the case. I want you and Joe to meet with Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler and help them catch this guy."

"With all due respect, Sir, I would like to go to the hospital," Frank requested.

Post analyzed the expression on Frank's face and realized no matter what he said, Frank was going to go to the hospital. "Fine, I'll have them meet you there." Frank turned for the door. "And Frank, someone should inform the father." Frank nodded. He walked back into the bustling squad room and froze.

Every day they put their lives on the line to solve crimes and bring about justice, but all too often one more desk became unoccupied. The rest of them lived with the memories of the job. Dead partners. Kids who pulled guns on each other in the streets over drugs, land or women. Husbands beating their wives and kids. Women selling themselves for money. Rape. He couldn't imagine what Nancy had been through these last six months, but he bet hell would have been better.

"Frank? You okay?" Frank turned blank eyes to his brother.

"Not really. Come on, we're going to Bellevue, I'll explain on the way."


	4. Ugly Truth

A/N: Thanks again to those who continue to read and review!

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

**Ugly Truth**

* * *

Elliot took a look at his watch and looked around the hospital hallways once again. They were waiting for two cops from homicide. The fact that their victim ended up being a cop threw them all for a loop. He watched as Olivia talked to a nurse about Nancy Drew's condition. Liv had almost become a victim. If Fin hadn't gotten to her in time...Elliot knew she would not be the same person she was today. It was hard for her to move past it enough to become a cop again. This case was going to bring back some of those memories. Unfortunately, trying to convince her to drop the case would be like talking to a brick wall. After all, if anyone could help a cop going through this sort of trauma, it would be Liv.

"No, news," Olivia said striding up to her partner.

"Well hopefully these cops will have some leads for us. Six months and still open, they got to have something."

"I think we're about to find out," Olivia stated looking down the hospital corridor. Elliot followed her gaze, taking in the two boys in police uniform coming down the hall. One was taller than the other with slightly messy brown hair and an equally shaggy looking beard. He seemed a little skinner compared to the sort of broad football player physique of the cop next to him. He looked like the blond hair blue eye surfer type.

"They're kids," Elliot whispered in dismay.

"Well maybe you can show them a thing or two," Olivia said sounding slightly annoyed. Elliot wasn't sure if it was at him or the truth in his assessment. Olivia approached the boys.

"Hi, I'm Detective Olivia Benson and this is my partner Elliot Stabler. We're from SVU."

The blond looked at the brown haired guy as if expecting him to introduce the two, but he was silent and looking quite distracted. "I'm Joe Hardy and this is my brother, Frank." They exchanged hand shakes.

"Hardy," Elliot said thoughtfully. "Any relation to Fenton Hardy?"

"Yes, actually. He's our dad," Joe replied. At this point in his life, he was used to people making that association, especially cops.

"Excuse me," Frank interrupted. He broke away from Joe's side and went to the nurse's station. A moment later, he disappeared down the hall.

"Sorry, about my brother. Nancy Drew is a good friend of ours. He really needs to see her," Joe apologized.

Olivia nodded. "That's understandable. I'm sure you'd like to see her too."

"Yes, but Frank needs to see her alone first." Elliot picked up on the meaning quickly. There seemed to be something going on between Nancy and Frank, which would explain Frank's haggard condition. It was actually interesting to Elliot that the three of them would be partnered up, with Frank and Joe being brothers and Nancy being a potential love interest of Frank's. For most units that would be an issue while being on the job. If a situation went bad, the question would always come up, who would you try and protect? Your partner or an endangered civilian? If your partner was your brother or a love interest, your objectivity became a question. Elliot and Olivia had been questioned about that on numerous occasions.

"How long have the three of you been with homicide?" Elliot asked, hoping to find a little more about their past.

"A year and a half for me. Frank and Nancy have another year on me, but we've known each other a lot longer. We've done a lot of amateur detective work together over the years."

"Now that you mention it, I think I do remember reading some cases about you guys. You're from Bayport right?" Elliot clarified.

"Right." Elliot looked at him with new respect. Obviously, the kid knew what he was doing. Joe normally would have been flattered that someone recognized his name from some of their older cases, but his heart wasn't in it today. Finding out about Nancy had knocked some of the humor out of him. All he wanted to do was see Nancy and catch the bastard who did this to her. He didn't want to be rude, but he really wasn't interested in this small talk right now.

"Our captain didn't tell us much. Who found her?" Joe asked. Olivia and Elliot took turns explaining what they had found out so far, which unfortunately wasn't much.

Joe rubbed the back of his neck. "This is so incredible. It's the kind of thing you read about but never think it'll happen to someone you know."

"We read some of the background about the day she disappeared, but we'd like to hear it from you." Joe quickly told them about Nancy and Frank planning to have dinner.

"We found her purse in a dumpster not far from the police station. We weren't able to get any DNA or prints from it but there were high concentrations of chloroform on the outside."

"She was drugged," Olivia confirmed.

Joe nodded. "We guessed she was grabbed relatively close to the station and there was a car waiting close by to carry her off. We expected a note or phone call for ransom money, but never heard anything."

"Suspects?" Elliot asked.

"Between the three of us there are hundreds of potential suspects. We checked out any of the ones who may have been recently released, but came up empty handed. I don't know if you're familiar with him, but Nancy's father is Carson Drew, a well-known lawyer in Chicago. Anyway, we even checked out someone who might have a potential grudge against him, but with no demands for ransom it seemed like a dead end."

"Well, this perp may have been careful six months ago to protect his DNA but her rape kit turned up positive for fluids. With any luck we'll get a hit in the system," Elliot tried to comfort.

Joe grimaced at the words. "Geez, are those the words you throw around every day?" Elliot knew he really wasn't expecting an answer to his question and from Olivia's silence she seemed to feel the same way. "I'm going to see Nancy and then the four of us can talk." Joe started to walk away and then stopped.

"By the way, have you informed Mr. Drew, yet?"

"No," Olivia answered.

"Please let Frank or I do it. I think he'll need to hear it from one of us."

"No, problem."

* * *

Frank had waited for six months for this. He really didn't care what first impression he may have left on the detectives, he needed to see her just to know that it was really her. He'd wished for this day everyday since she disappeared. Once again, against all the odds, Nancy Drew had survived, but at what price? Was this a direct result of Frank's wishing? The guilt weighed him down, causing him to pause at her door. Frank, Joe and Nancy had all been in this position too many times, but he still didn't know what to expect when he opened the door.

With a shaking hand, Frank opened the door and stopped. Air rushed out of lungs. Once again, he felt himself caught off guard. He'd prepared himself for the sight of machines pumping and beeping, tubes being extended into all major veins, gauze, tape, even blood…but there was none of that. From where he stood it looked like she was sleeping. Her chest carried air in and out on its own. Her arms rested above the starch white blankets. She was in a simple hospital gown that brought out the unusual paleness of her skin. She drew him into the room slowly. It was really then that he could truly see her.

Her hair was pulled back in the messy remains of a French braid. Heavy concealer streaked her face and revealed purple smudges, like dirt on her left cheekbone. Smokey grey eye shadow darkened her lids and made her eyes look almost translucent. Frank reached down and gently placed his hand into hers. Her skin was cold and he could feel its tautness against her bones. Frank pulled away startled when he felt swollen lines on her palm. Reaching down slowly he turned her hand over and saw the pale, but distinct convex lines, slightly pink but healed. He recognized what they were instantly and Frank fought back a scream of fury that would have only been rivaled by the shear agony he was sure Nancy felt when someone placed her hand on a hot burner.

"Nancy," he whispered, his voice tormented by the injuries he couldn't see based on what he could see. He pushed her hair gently from her forehead and he caught a whiff of a completely unfamiliar scent that choked him in its fruitiness. He pulled his hand back like he'd been shocked. "What happened to you?" She didn't stir at the sound of his voice or acknowledge his presence.

Frank found himself backing away from the bed towards the door. His distance diluted the smell, but not the pain. He always expected that if she was found, he'd never leave her side again, but he couldn't do it. What some person had done to her was the lowest most vile thing possible and Frank couldn't believe he couldn't stop it. If he'd just worked harder and looked into every lead more thoroughly, he could have stopped this.

Joe was surprised when he found his brother sitting on the floor outside Nancy's room. His knees were pulled up closed to his chest and his head rested against the wall with his eyes closed. Joe figured his brother would be chained to Nancy's side now that she was back. Whether or not Frank and Nancy admitted it to each other, anyone in their presence could pick up on the love they had for each other. So, for Frank to be out here now that Nancy was back caused Joe great concern.

"Frank?" Joe called, figuring it was unlikely that his brother was actually sleeping. "What are you doing out here?"

Frank's eyes opened slowly and Joe could see a red swollen hue to them. It was a side of Frank he rarely, if ever, got to see. He'd dealt with his brother in dangerous situations when he was worried about the safety of a Nancy or another friend, but this was beyond that. Frank looked broken and in pain and it scared him. Even as time went on during their investigation, Frank always kept hope, but that was gone now. Instead of being replaced with relief or happiness, it seemed to be replaced with emptiness.

"I just need a minute before I go back in there," Frank said, closing his eyes quickly as if trying to block out a vision.

Joe was anxious to see Nancy, but he also didn't know if it was a good idea to leave Frank here. Deciding to give his brother the time he asked for, Joe walked into the Nancy's hospital room. Like Frank, Joe was taken back by the lack of any life-sustaining machines. From afar, she looked like a slightly paler version of the Nancy he knew, but up close, he could really see the affect Nancy's captivity had on her body.

Joe felt the same emotions he always felt under the circumstances where Frank was the one lying in a hospital bed. There was anxiety over the whole situation. She wasn't awake yet and something the doctor's hadn't foreseen could have a drastic affect on her survival. There was relief that there was hope and that the situation could have turned out much worse, but there was another emotion that he felt in a completely new way. Fear. It wasn't fear over whether or not she'd survive in the physical sense but rather, fear of how she will come out of this emotionally.

Joe felt a strong pang of pain and regret he had not felt in years. When he was a teenager, he had dated a girl named Iola Morton. During one of his cases, the two of them had gotten into a fight and Iola had taken off in her car. A bomb had been rigged to the car, a bomb met for Joe. Iola died instantly. For nearly a year afterwards, Joe had carried Iola's car keys from the explosion with him. It had taken a long time for Joe to come back from the sea of guilt and self-pity he felt from that day. In many ways, he still felt responsible, but he made peace with what happened and took to remembering the times he had with her, rather than the times he'd lost. However, Nancy decided to handle the situation, it was forever going to change her and Joe was going to be there for her in any way that he could.

Joe's thoughts were interrupted when he heard voices in the hall and decided to see what was going on. Frank still hadn't reentered the room and Joe found him in the hallway with the two detectives from SVU and a doctor.

"What's going on?" Joe asked looking at the blank faces of the detectives and Frank's look of disgust.

"And you are?" The doctor asked.

"Officer Joe Hardy."

"Right. Well, as I was telling the other detectives, her blood work just came back. She has increased levels of estrogen and progestin in her system."

"Birth control," Olivia supplied seeing Joe's confused look. Joe didn't know whether or not to even feel relieved, but obviously Frank did.

"That's sick," Frank seethed.

"That's a lead," Elliot pointed out. "Until she wakes up and gives us something else, we can start checking all the pharmacy's around the area where she collapsed. I'm sure they don't have too many guys filling prescriptions for birth control."

"But we'll need to talk to you both later." Olivia pulled out a card out of her wallet and handed it to Joe. "Give us a call when she wakes up." With a glance at Frank, Elliot and Olivia disappeared down the hall.

"Frank—"  
"Don't, Joe. Just don't say anything." Frank seemed to be having a hard time controlling his anger and Joe didn't blame him. Frank ran a hand through his hair and took several deep breaths. Just as Joe opened his mouth to try again, a stream of rapid beeps began to emit from Nancy's room. Frank shot a panicked look at Joe and the two brothers rushed into the room.


End file.
